Siman 17: Who is required to Wear Tzitzis

17:1. Even though it says in the Torah “and you shall see it,” blind men (1) are required to wear Tzitzis, because they are included by the phrase “that which you cover yourself with.” The phrase “and you shall see it” is needed to exclude (2) night clothing.

17:2. Women and slaves are exempt, because Tzitzis is a (3) time dependent positive commandment. {Rema: Nevertheless, if they want to wrap themselves in them (4) and make a blessing they are permitted, like with other time dependent positive commandments, however it seems like arrogance (showing that you are extra observant) and therefore they shouldn’t wear Tzitzis at all since (5) it is not a responsibility that applies to people [in other words, the obligation is upon the four-cornered-garment to have tzitzis, but] this means that a person is not required to buy a Tallis in order to be required to wear Tzitzis; as we see later in Siman (section) 19, where it says that _when_ he has a four cornered garment [it must have Tzitzis]. A Tumtum and an androgynous person (6) are required to wear Tzitzis out of doubt, but should put them on (7) without a blessing. [Explanation: a Tumtum is a person who we do not know if it is a male or female and an androgynous person is someone who has both (8) male and female characteristics.] {Rema: And according to our custom that women do make blessings for time dependent positive commandments, they (the Tumtum and the androgynous person) should also make a blessing.}

17:3. When a child knows how to wrap himself in Tzitzis, his father must (9) buy him Tzitzis (10) to teach him {Rema: Specifically when he knows how to put two Tzitzis in front and two in back, and he knows to hold the Tzitzis in his hand during the recitation of Shma.

18:1. Nighttime is not the time of Tzitzis, because it is excluded by the phrase “and you shall see them.” (1) According to the Rambam [Maimonides], anything that one wears at night is exempt from Tzitzis, even though it is a garment designated for daytime use, and anything that one wears during the day is required to have Tzitzis, even though it is designated for the night. [On the other hand,] the Rosh rules that anything desgnated for nighttime use is exempt even if he happens to wear it during the day, and anything designated for daytime [or both daytime] and nighttime is required to have Tzitzis even if he happens to wear it at night. {Rama: Where there is doubt whether a blessing is required, (2) we are lenient (no brocha), and therefore one should not make a blessing except when wearing a garment during the day that is designated (3) also for daytime use. After (4) evening services, even though it is still daytime, one should not make a blessing on Tzitzis. (5) On the eve of Yom Kippur [when the large Tallis is worn at the evening service], one should (6) enwrap himself in his Tallis (7) while it is still daytime and make a blessing upon it.

18:3. The earliest time that one can say the blessing for tzitzis in the morning is (9) when one can recognize the difference between the Techeles [blu[blue] the white strings [fro[from the days when blue strings were used in tzitzis]And if he wears them from first light [whi[which is generally 1/2 hour earlier]ere are those who say that he should say a blessing – (10) and such is our custom. And if he wears them even earlier, as for example when arising to say Selichos [in [in the week(s) before Rosh HaShana] should not make a blessing – and then when the day becomes lighter he should (11) pick them up and bless over them.}